Silver Savior
by Tyrant002
Summary: Alex was once known as Commander Pluto of Team Galactic. He leaves them and Sinnoh behind after overhearing a plot by Cyrus to betray him. Some years later (after the story begins), a series of events forces him to return to Sinnoh again. With the help of his friends and Pokemon...can Alex atone for his past and save the world from annihilation? Rated M for Language. Ch 7 posted
1. Prologue - Stranded

**This will be my second overall fanfiction that I have started working on in my spare time. This one stems from yet another idea I had while I was with my abusive ex-fiancé (now two years since she cheated on me.)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Pokémon. I can only claim ownership of original characters and/or original plot settings if anything at all. Be sure to support all official Pokémon releases (I think Sun and Moon are awesome. The main story is a little short though).**

 **So…before anyone thinks about submitting offensive or overly negative reviews, consider this: Nobody forced you to read any part of the story. If you think it's that bad, just hit the back button on your browser. Though my stories aren't necessarily the best out there, writing helps more than alcohol to keep from caving in to depression. For everyone else…enjoy.**

 **Pokémon: The Silver Savior**

 **Chapter 1: Prologue – Stranded (in the Seafoam Islands)**

 _ **Fuchsia City Pokémon Center**_

Nurse Joy hums happily as she finishes taking care of some Pokémon that were brought in for routine treatment. Once she finishes, the trainer walks in to the center to pick up his three Pokémon.

"Nurse Joy. How are they doing?" The trainer asks.

Joy smiles and brings out the tray with the three Pokeballs. "They are just fine, Alex."

"Excellent. Oh…one question. Do you by chance know how to find the Seafoam Islands from here? I've been wanting to check them out for a while." Alex inquired about the islands that were southwest of the city.

Nurse Joy sighs out of slight dismay "The Seafoam Islands are south and west of here, but…some bad storms are expected later today. If you went there, it might be several days before you could safely return." Joy then gives him more precise directions on how to get to the islands.

"Thanks Nurse Joy. Here's hoping the storms aren't too bad." Alex retrieves his Pokémon and heads towards the beaches just south of there.

"I sure hope he is careful. Those storms can get bad out at sea. Darn…I forgot to inform him about the increased presence of wild Tentacool and Tentacruel in the area." Joy sighs again, this time out of worry.

Alex arrives at the beach just moments after leaving the Pokémon center. Once he reaches the water's edge…

"Come on out Empoleon." Empoleon emerges from its Pokeball. "Surf's up buddy!" Empoleon jumps in to the water, then Alex climbs on its back. They head south from Fuchsia City, battling a small number of trainers along the way, and dealing with a larger than normal presence of wild Tentacool and Tentacruel. When Alex and Empoleon are about 10 minutes away from the islands, the storms start picking up.

"Shit…storms are already kicking up. Hang in there, buddy. We're almost to the islands." Alex tries to reassure his Empoleon as the storms become more violent the closer they get to the islands. After what seemed like a much longer time, Alex and Empoleon arrive at the Seafoam Islands and immediately take shelter in one of the caverns away from the entrance to avoid any further rain.

"Pyro, come on out." Alex's shiny Charizard emerges from its Pokeball and helps to not only provide some light, but also to help Alex stay warm and hopefully dry off.

"Empoleon, you should rest a while. Return." Empoleon retreats to its Pokeball for some much-needed rest. "We might be here a while. What do you think Pyro?" His Charizard nods, then increases the intensity of its flames a little more to help Alex stay warmer. "Just have to hope my supplies hold out long enough though." Pyro just snorts before falling asleep. Alex applies a repellant before falling asleep himself.

 _ **Day Three**_

"Grand. Looks like those storms are being difficult about letting up long enough to make it back to Fuchsia City. Supplies are also starting to run low. Might have another day or two's worth of supplies left at most." Alex says to himself, although Pyro can hear him. He decides to wander around the caverns a bit to occupy some time, applying a repellant before doing so. Although there were various wild Pokémon in the area, none of them seemed interested in going near Alex at all. _"Thank you repellant. Fuck off…stupid Zubat."_ He thinks to himself.

After spending most of the day wandering the caves, Alex lays down and covers himself with a blanket. He huddles near his Charizard to maintain some warmth while hiding from some of stronger wild Pokémon in one of the lower floors of the Seafoam Islands. Before falling asleep, he applies another Pokémon repellant for good measure.

 _ **Day Five**_

It is now on the fifth day, and Alex has used the last of his supplies, other than food which ran out sooner, and a Hyper Potion. He is currently lost in the lowest floor of the Seafoam Islands, but is beginning to feel the effects of hunger on his body combined with the colder temperatures.

"Have no idea where I am right now. Not sure if I'm close to getting out of here, or going deeper into the caverns." Alex says aloud. "Go figure…I managed to evade Sinnoh's police for years, dodged Interpol, yet I get lost in some island caverns. Guess I might just be stuck here permanently at this rate." Alex hears a noise which sounds like it came from a bird of some kind.

"A bird…in these caverns? Doesn't seem possible. Not when it's this cold here anyways. I don't recall hearing about any bird Pokémon nesting in these caverns either. Better get some light…and heat around here." Pyro comes out of its ball and illuminates the area. Once the area is better lit, the source of the noise can be seen on a nearby ledge. The light blue bird Pokémon takes notice to Alex and Pyro, stretches its wings, and then slowly approaches the duo with curiosity. Alex signals Pyro not to attack it.

"Stand down Pyro. As for you," looks over toward their visitor "what kind of Pokémon are you?" Alex retrieves his Pokedex and scans the inquisitive Pokémon. Pyro stands down and watches carefully.

" _Articuno, the Freeze Pokémon. Articuno is a Legendary Bird Pokémon that can control ice. The flapping of its wings chills the air. As a result, it is said that when this Pokémon flies, snow will fall. Along with Zapdos and Moltres, it is one of the three Legendary Birds of Kanto."_ The Pokedex's voice states the basic information about the Pokémon. Alex puts the Pokedex back into his pocket after the scan is completed.

"Inconceivable…I have just found a legendary Pokémon. Everyone always told me that the Pokémon of legends appear only to those who are truly worthy. A shame it should be at a time like this. Besides, how can I be worthy of something like this with everything I've ever done in my life?" Alex says aloud. Articuno tilts its head a little more and gently nudges Alex. "Hey, easy. Nice to meet you too." Alex gently pets the legendary bird on the head, feeling almost as if he and Articuno were destined to cross paths one day. He soon realizes that Articuno was also gesturing towards one of the empty Ultra balls on his belt.

"I see. You want to help me get out of here, don't you?" Articuno chirps happily once Alex realizes its intentions, but then readies itself for the inevitable battle. "Very well then. Articuno, let's battle!" The legendary bird nods its head in acceptance, knowing well that defeat will mean capture. "Pyro, stand by for battle!"

Pyro gets up, opens its wings and growls, indicating that it is ready for battle as well. Once the showdown commences… "Start things out with Flamethrower!" The move grazes Articuno as it begins to fly around to evade the fire attack. It fires an Ice Beam at Pyro, which is brushed off shortly after. "Take flight, then use another Flamethrower once you have a clear shot!" The second Flamethrower connects after a few minutes of flying around and dodging Ice Beams. Articuno begins to show fatigue after being hit by the second attack. Pyro lands near Alex. "I think we should wrap this up quicker, how about you?" Pyro roars. "Alright then Pyro…use Fire Blast now!" The Fire Blast connects with Articuno just as it was going to use a technique known as Sheer Cold. It slumps to the ground from the damage it has received during the battle. "Ultra ball…go!" Articuno closes its eyes and gets a slight smile just as the ball connects. After shaking for about a minute, a small ding can be heard from the ball which indicates that the capture was successful. "Can it really be? I just captured Articuno?"

Alex takes the Ultra ball up to his chest. "Thank you Articuno. From now on, you will be known as Tundra. Now…take flight!" The newly captured Articuno emerges, then has a Hyper Potion applied to it to heal most of the damage from the battle. It perks up immediately. "Pyro, return!" Pyro nods before returning to its Pokeball. "Tundra, let's get out here and back to Fuchsia City." Articuno nods before it motions for Alex to climb on its back, and even seems to take to its new nickname. Alex climbs on board, and they begin to fly through the caverns and towards an exit back to the surface. The storms have completely dissipated by the time they leave the caverns. Several onlookers gaze in wonder as Articuno flies past them. Once back at Fuchsia City, Tundra is returned to its ball, then taken in to the center to be treated.

"Alex…oh goodness, I thought you were a goner." Nurse Joy says to Alex in shock after seeing him.

"Not so easily, although I was quite close. That is, until…" Alex pulls out the Ultra ball with his new friend "I found a new friend in the lowest depths of the islands."

Nurse Joy takes his Pokemon in to be treated. She jumps out of shock when she opens the ball with Tundra in it. "Oh, my goodness! It's…Articuno. A shiny at that." She proceeds to treat Tundra's injuries from the battle, along with Empoleon and Pyro as well. Once treated, they are returned to their respective Pokeballs and brought out to Alex.

"Your Pokemon have been fully healed. I can't believe you even saw, let alone captured Articuno. Most trainers only get to dream of such a thing." Joy says with a smile.

"Thanks Joy. It's certainly something I will not take for granted. Well…time to get going. I think I might head for Vermillion City from here." Alex retrieves his Pokemon and leaves, with Joy waving goodbye.

 _ **Two Hours Later – Outside Vermillion City Gym**_

"Tundra, return." Alex returns Tundra to its ball. "Wonder if Sparky is around today?"

"Sparky? I heard that soldier!" Vermillion's gym leader, Lt. Surge, approaches him. "Keeping out of trouble eh?" Surge gets a strong smell in his nose. "Blech…hit the showers, and meet in the chow hall in 40 minutes." After about 30 minutes in the shower Alex, now fully cleaned after his trip, gets dressed in some fresh clothing and heads for the gym's cafeteria where Lt. Surge is waiting for him.

"About time you got here Private." Surge taps his watch. "So, what was the deal with earlier?"

"Oh, that. If you must know, I was forced to camp out in the Seafoam Islands for five days because of bad weather, and almost didn't make it out of there." Alex reaches for the Ultra Ball with Tundra in it. "If it hadn't been for a certain Pokémon anyways."

"It must be a…special Pokémon. I have to see this." Surge smugly says to Alex.

Alex was irked now "That does it…gym floor now, Sparky." The two head for the gym floor, with some of the other trainers following behind them.

"That's Lt. Surge to you…baby!" Surge uses his favorite insult on Alex while heading for the gym's arena.

Once there… "You want to see it so badly, well here…" Alex is cut off by another gym leader walking in.

"Now what is with all the commotion, Sparky?" Blaine, the leader of the Cinnabar Gym shows up unannounced. "I could hear your loud mouth all the way from Cinnabar Island. Plus, you spew enough hot air to turn the lowest depths of the Seafoam Islands into a tropical paradise."

"Nothing you need to worry about at all. Why are you here anyways, Chrome Dome?" Surge fires back at Blaine.

Blaine raises an eyebrow "Chrome Dome…Oh really? I just happen to know more about the Seafoam Islands than you, and I know of a legendary Pokémon that is said to dwell within those caverns. If my hunch is correct based on what I just overheard, young Alex has caught that very Pokémon."

"Yeah right. If he has a legendary Pokémon, then I'm not the Kanto League champion." Surge rolls his eyes. Alex tosses the ball into the air, and his Articuno emerges. Surge's jaw drops, while Blaine lowers his glasses.

"Well I'll be darned. Seems I was correct. You did catch Articuno, and it's shiny to boot. An amazing find." Blaine nods in approval, then gently pets Tundra which earns a chirp of happiness. Surge is still speechless as Tundra is returned. Some of the other trainers in the gym were stunned (pun intended) as well. "Guess you AREN'T the Kanto League champion, eh Sparky."

"Gentlemen, if you will excuse me, I'm exhausted and would like to find a place to sleep." Alex turns and heads out the front door.

"Don't work too hard Sparky, if you even work at all." Blaine chuckles, then leaves as well.

" _Well kid…it looks like you just might have hope of finding your redemption after all. I know I found mine a long time ago. Good luck to you, Alex. You will need it. As for you Chrome Dome…nah, maybe some other time."_ Surge thinks to himself and grins.

 _ **Vermillion Hotel**_

"Hi, can I help you?" The receptionist asks.

"Yes, one-night stay. Room for one. The name will be under…John Stewart." Alex been using this alias for several years just in case someone ratted him out had he used his real name.

After paying the room fee, the receptionist hands Alex a key. "Enjoy your stay, Mr. Stewart."

Once in the room, Alex opens a small book with photos of his younger days and realizes that it has been ten years since he committed his worst offenses while in Team Galactic. Under Sinnoh law, the statute of limitations would have elapsed by then, technically making him a free man. He closes the photo book, lies down and falls asleep. As he sleeps, Alex begins to contemplate some of the events that brought him to this point. Starting around the time he abandoned Team Galactic and left Sinnoh ten years prior.

 **Alright. First chapter in the bag so far. Was a little longer than I had initially planned. Depending on how this story fares, I may plan a prequel to give Alex a more detailed backstory.**

 **Some mild spoilers for later chapters…on second thought, there will be no spoilers.**

 **Anyhow, like I said before, writing is my main tool for keeping my depression in check (without medication, alcohol or drugs). If you like what you've read so far, have questions or reasonable comments, you know what to do. Peace out for now.**


	2. Trouble at Diglett's Cave

_Once in the room, Alex opens a small book with photos of his younger days and realizes that it has been ten years since he committed his worst offenses while in Team Galactic. Under Sinnoh law, the statute of limitations would have elapsed by then, technically making him a free man. He closes the photo book, lies down and falls asleep. As he sleeps, Alex begins to contemplate some of the events that brought him to this point. Starting around the time he abandoned Team Galactic and left Sinnoh ten years prior._

 **Pokémon: The Silver Savior**

 **Chapter 2: Destined Encounters, Part 1**

 **Trouble at Diglett's Cave**

 **Flashback**

 _Alex, having recently turned 19 years old, stands near the edge of a pier just east of Sunnyshore City. Earlier that morning, he fled from Team Galactic's headquarters in Veilstone City. Alex gathered all his belongings from his room, and quickly left before anyone could realize that he was gone. Although Veilstone had a sizable presence of Galactic members, his stealth skills were adequate to evade everyone, especially considering it was not daylight yet and he know the routes that they covered during that hour. Luckily for him, any Galactic members that may have been sent after him weren't likely to go near Sunnyshore City. As he awaited the ship that would help him escape from his tainted past, Alex was approached from behind by an attractive blonde female similar in age._

" _Well…guess it's time to bid farewell to Sinnoh. Sure, Cyrus rescued me from that orphanage some years ago, to which I am still grateful. I just don't understand why he wanted to betray me though." Alex says to himself._

" _Are you really leaving Sinnoh?" The blonde woman says with a hint of sadness in her voice as she approaches him carefully._

 _Alex sighs and shrugs his shoulders. "Yeah…I am. Can't take the life of crime any longer. Especially when Cyrus wanted to backstab me after all these years. I don't suppose you intend to flirt with me again, Cynthia?"_

" _Normally I would consider it, but…now isn't a good time apparently." Cynthia calmly says to him. "Is something bothering you?"_

 _Alex turns to face her. "Nothing is wrong. It's just…for a while, I've been feeling like Cyrus had been plotting against me in some way. After I eavesdropped on him talking to the other Galactic Commanders behind my back and what they were planning, my doubts were confirmed. He was going to try making me into his personal hitman, then rat me out after the first job was finished. Last night, I decided to pull the plug once and for all, and…here I am now."_

" _Why couldn't you just go into hiding somewhere, instead of leaving Sinnoh entirely?" Cynthia asked him._

 _Alex raises an eyebrow. "Cynthia, are you nuts?! Do you realize how many spies are around that would snitch to Cyrus if they ever saw me? Too many. Don't forgot that every police department in Sinnoh have me marked as their most wanted, even above Cyrus. To top it off, I managed to get caught up with Interpol. I don't know how I'm not rotting in prison for life. At least if I leave, I only need to worry about evading Interpol, if anyone. That, and I won't drag anybody else down with me."_

 _Cynthia's face changes from a neutral to a more saddened expression. "I suppose it is for the best. For a while, I got the impression that you were feeling doubt. Guess my questions were answered."_

" _I'm sorry Cynthia. I know you like me and all. With everything I've done over the last 10 or so years, willingly or otherwise, I'm already beyond redemption. You should find someone who deserves you more than I could ever hope to." Alex starts to look away from her._

 _Cynthia walks up to Alex and hugs him lightly. "That's why I fell for you Alex. You have yet to be completely tainted by Team Galactic and Cyrus's ways. No other Galactic member to this day has ever shown remorse for even their most heinous acts. There is still hope."_

" _I suppose you might be right. Even as somewhat of being Cyrus's right hand, I refused to commit any bodily harm. Took a while for him to listen to me though. So, I guess I'm still clean in that regard." Reluctantly, Alex returns the favor and hugs Cynthia. Her embrace tightens a little before shedding a few tears and lightly sobbing into his shoulder._

" _There's no telling how long it will take for you to find what you seek. When the day comes that you truly feel like you've atoned for your past, please come back to Sinnoh…and more importantly…to me." Cynthia stands on her toes and kisses Alex, much to his surprise. She holds the kiss for a few moments before releasing him. After letting go, she turns away and leaves the pier, but not before a few parting words that Alex will not soon forget._

" _I'll be waiting for you Alex. I pray that Arceus will watch over you on your journey, and reunite us one day." Cynthia blushes lightly, and sheds a few more tears. Unbeknownst to her, a small tear leaves Alex's eye._

 _Soon after Cynthia is out of sight, the ship loading for Slateport City arrives. Alex boards the vessel and departs for the Hoenn region._

 **End Flashback**

Alex wakes up in the Vermillion Hotel around 8AM. His heart begins to race after remembering the kiss that Cynthia gave him all those years ago.

"Why do I still think about her, even after all this time…after everything that happened to me? Could it be…? Nah, I doubt it. She's probably married to someone else by now. Probably has a child or two besides." He says to himself. Alex gets up to shower, changes his clothes, and grabs breakfast. While eating his breakfast, Alex overhears a few people talking about a performance that will take place later that day at the Cerulean City Gym.

" _Hmm…Cerulean City. I would like to go, yet I also want to stop by Diglett's Cave first. Heard it was an interesting Pokémon."_ Alex thinks to himself. After checking out from his room, he travels east towards Diglett's Cave.

 _ **Diglett's Cave**_

Once he enters the cave, Alex sees two individuals in black outfits causing trouble for the local Diglett.

"Blasted Diglett. Stay still already!" The male says in a gravelly voice while trying to chase a few Diglett with a net.

"Hurry up and catch them already Butch! Take that egg back there too!" The female barks at the male.

"It's Butch! Oh, that's what you said."

" _An egg? Better do something and quick."_ Alex throws a rock at the male.

The male grumbles angrily "Hey! Who did that?" He looks and sees Alex. "Heads up Cass, we have company!"

"One lousy trainer? This shouldn't be much of a challenge." The female faces Alex.

" _Oh crap. Not what I intended."_ Alex prepares for a battle.

"Prepare for trouble!"

"And make it double!"

"Here's our mission, so you better listen!" Both speak together.

"To infect the world with devastation!"

"To blight all people in every nation!"

"To denounce the goodness of truth and love!"

"To extend our wrath to the stars above!"

"Cassidy!"

"And Butch, of course!"

"We're Team Rocket, circling Earth all day and night!"

"Surrender to us now or you will surely lose the fight!"

"Oh, it's you clowns from Sinnoh again. Cassidy and Bitch. Surely you would have quit doing this lame gig by now." Alex rolls his eyes.

Butch is biting his lower lip and drawing blood "It's Butch! Not…Bitch, you asshole!"

"I should have figured you would say that Hitch. Only a pair of has-beens like the two of you would hassle Diglett and Dugtrio for no reason." Alex reaches for a Pokeball on his belt.

"That does it. After we leave here…I am changing my name!" Butch is really irritated now.

"Has-beens you say? We'll teach you…Houndoom!" The canine Pokemon emerges.

"This shouldn't be long. Empoleon!" Alex follows suit by calling out his Empoleon. "Water Gun!" Empoleon makes short work of Houndoom.

"My turn! Mightyena!" Butch calls out Mightyena. "Hyper Beam!"

Alex is not worried about such an attack. "Empoleon, brace for impact then follow up with Steel Wing!" Hyper Beam hits Empoleon, but doesn't seem to do much damage. Empoleon's Steel Wing is another story, which also makes short work of Butch's chosen Pokémon.

"Butch, you're an idiot! You must have forgotten everything from Sinnoh. Empoleon is part Steel-type and is resistant to such moves! We better call Dr. Mambo for backup!" Cassidy yells at Butch

" _It's Namba!"_

"Doc, we…ahhh!" Butch tries to make the call for help, but is pulled into Arena Trap. The egg they were after had hatched while Alex had them occupied, and now the newly hatched Diglett is rallying the other Diglett and Dugtrio against Team Rocket.

"Diglett Dig Dig Diglett!" A shiny Diglett emerges from the ground. Other Diglett and Dugtrio rally around it.

Butch manages to get out of the Arena Trap after a few minutes. "Double battle this time Cass! Primeape!" Butch pulls out Primeape this time.

"We're going to kick your ass! Raticate!" Cassidy calls out her selected partner.

"Empoleon, return!" Empoleon is recalled. "Pyro, Tundra…you're up!" The two shiny Pokemon emerge, eager to fight.

"Umm, Butch…are you seeing this?" Cassidy backs up.

Butch turns towards her while backing up also "Yeah Cass. Two Pokémon, one of which is legendary, and neither of them are in a good mood. I'm thinking we should just cut our losses and scram."

"For once, good idea!" Cassidy and Butch recall their Pokémon and bolt for the entrance of the cave.

"Not so fast! Pyro, Tundra…Flamethrower and Ice Beam now!" The two attacks connect, causing an explosion which sends the two Rocket members flying.

"We should have ran faster Hooch!" Cassidy yells.

"It's Butch…oh never mind!" Butch crosses his arms while sailing in the air.

"Team Rocket's blasting off again!"

Alex recalls his Pokémon once things quiet down. A good number of wild Diglett and Dugtrio give him angry glares, thinking he is in league with Butch and Cassidy. The shiny Diglett that hatched during the commotion begins to plead with the others that Alex is not with the other two. After a few minutes, most of the Diglett and Dugtrio leave after giving an indication that they are grateful. The shiny Diglett chooses to remain behind.

"Why aren't you going back with the others, Diglett?" Alex ask the little mole Pokémon. It moves slowly towards him and gently rubs against Alex. Alex reaches down to pet it, which it seems to enjoy quite a bit. While petting it, he reaches for an empty ball and a berry, Diglett happily eats the berry.

"What do you say little guy?" Alex holds the empty ball near the Diglett. The other Diglett and Dugtrio watch on.

After a few moments of contemplation… "Diglett!" The Diglett indicates its happiness at such an opportunity and nudges the button on the front of the ball, which captures it immediately.

"What should I call you? Hmm…" Alex tosses the ball "I know what will work. Come on out Dig Dig."

"Diglett Dig Dig…Diglett Dig!" The newly obtained shiny Diglett tells the others not to worry about it, and that it will be in good hands with Alex. The others nod in gratitude, then go back to their lives.

"Well Dig Dig. What do you say we head for Cerulean City?" Alex walks towards the entrance of the cave.

"Diglett!" Dig Dig follows Alex towards the entrance, then retreats to its ball. Together, they head for Cerulean City.

 **(End Part 1)**


	3. Showdown at Cerulean Cape

**Pokémon: The Silver Savior**

 **Chapter 3: Destined Encounters, Part 2**

 **Showdown at Cerulean Cape**

 _ **11:30 AM**_

Alex quietly slips away from Diglett's Cave before any police show up. Before leaving Vermillion City, he visits Lt. Surge one more time just outside of the gym.

"Where ya headed off to, soldier?" Surge is in a better mode than the previous day.

"Cerulean City." Alex pauses briefly "Going to see a performance at the gym. Apparently, the show is a big hit and often sells out quickly."

"Ha, good thinking. I'm headed up there later myself. Cerulean Cape is a good area to train. Be careful when you're going through Saffron City. Apparently, Team Rocket has been active…again." Surge cautions him.

Alex snickers a bit. "Oh don't worry. I encountered two of the so-called higher-ranking operatives at Diglett's Cave not that long ago, No-Class Cass and Giovanni's Bitch."

"I'm stealing that line the next time I see those two. As far as I'm concerned, they and their brethren aren't welcome here." Surge hands him a small box. "A little parting gift for ya, for yesterday. Dismissed for now soldier."

"Yes sir, and consider that joke of mine stolen." Alex does a 180 and proceeds north towards Saffron City. Along the way, he opens the box that Lt. Surge gave him just before he left.

"What…I haven't earned these." Inside the box are both the Thunder and Volcano badges, along with a note.

 _Hey soldier,_

 _You're probably wondering why you have these two badges right now. Well…Blaine, err… Chrome Dome and I decided that you should get them to motivate you not to give up on yourself. Just don't tell anyone how you got them. There is one catch: you must battle both of us in a Tag Battle before you leave Kanto, then that way the league will have official record of you winning a gym battle. Just call ahead of when you want to battle. You should have my number._

 _Lt. Jarvis Surge – Vermillion City Gym Leader_

 _PS – Alex: Sparky and I are going to hold you to it._

 _Blaine Hawkins – Cinnabar Island Gym Leader_

"Those two…Quite the interesting duo. Well what do you know, the gates to Saffron City. That was faster than I thought."

 _ **2:30 PM**_

Alex approaches the entrance to Saffron City, which is opened after the guard sees him approaching. While passing through, he notices the increased presence of Team Rocket members that Lt. Surge had warned him about. Using his skills once more, he manages to avoid being noticed, even by Butch and Cassidy who appeared to be scuffed up following the battle. Butch and Cassidy appear to be arguing with another Team Rocket duo. Once safe on the north side of the city, Alex notices a woman in casual clothing signing autographs outside of the gym.

" _Psychic Pokémon, huh? If that is the case, then she must be the Saffron City Gym Leader. I've heard about her being an exceptionally skilled Psychic trainer from Master Koga."_ Sabrina sees Alex walking nearby. She nods slightly after reading his thoughts and shakes her head.

 _He hears a small giggle in his mind. "Thank you. A fair number of people are disrespectful because of my past with Team Rocket. If you would like to, stop by the gym some time. We'll battle with the Marsh Badge on the line. Oh, no need to worry about the police. I won't say a word to anyone about you being around here…Alexander Jordan."_ Sabrina speaks to him telepathically.

" _Sounds reasonable to me, Sabrina. I'll see you around. Best get back to your fans."_ Alex thinks to himself, which is read once again by Sabrina. She nods, then returns to her fans.

 _ **3:30 PM**_

After more walking, Alex finally reaches the edge of Cerulean City. He wanders around the area until he locates the Pokémon Center, and eventually, the Cerulean City Gym. Fans are gathering outside for the upcoming performance, although it appears that there are some technical difficulties that will force the show to be postponed until the next day.

"Crap…now I'll have to wait until another day." Alex says to himself, which is heard by a few others in line.

Some of the crowd's responses included "We just got here from Celadon City ourselves," "Came from Fuchsia City," or "Goldenrod in Johto."

"Well…guess I'll have to find something else to do then. Maybe I'll check in with Nurse Joy." Alex walks to the nearby Pokémon Center. "Nurse Joy, sounds like the Water Show at the gym was postponed. Is there much to do around Cerulean right now?"

Nurse Joy smiles and replies "There is plenty to do…" She is cut off by a trainer sprinting in.

"Nurse Joy, there is trouble at the Cerulean Cape!" The trainer says.

"What's wrong Eusine?!" Nurse Joy replies in a worried tone. Alex glances at the guy. Eusine is wearing a royal purple suit with lighter colored diamonds on it, along with a white cape.

"There's a person wearing an all-black outfit near Cerulean Cape! He's managed to injure a wild Suicune and even plans to use it for ill intentions if we don't move quickly! Every trainer has been chased away from the area by him as well." Eusine says in a frenzied tone.

" _Suicune?! Like one of the Legendary Beasts of the Johto Region? A guy wearing all black attire. Hmm…I better check this out."_ Alex thinks to himself. "Eusine was it? I'm Alex. I'll go back there with you. Lead the way!"

"Let's go! We don't have much time!" Eusine and Alex race off towards Cerulean Cape, while Nurse Joy tries to get in touch with Officer Jenny.

 **3:45 PM**

Alex and Eusine arrive at the Cerulean Cape just as the trainer is about to capture Suicune by force.

"Hold it right there!" Eusine yells out while reaching for a ball, causing the person to turn his attention towards them for a moment.

"Back away from that Suicune if you know what's good for you!" Alex yells out as well, reaching for a Pokémon of his. He notices that this Suicune's mane is blue rather than purple like he had seen in various photos.

"Hmm…like I'm worried about a couple of weak trainers like you?" The person takes on a more threatening pose. "Once I deal with you two worms, I'll take care of this Suicune."

"What in the world?" Eusine looks puzzled.

Alex's eyes widened at what the person said "What are you planning to do, use it in some crazy world domination scheme?"

"Ohhh, did I actually touch a nerve? Sorry…not. Once you two meddlesome trainers are wiped out, my associates can accomplish what we set out to do, one city at a time! Once we capture the legendary Pokémon of the Kanto region, we're aiming for something much bigger. The Sinnoh region itself is full of legendary Pokémon. That region is a much better target than this pathetic region." The person removes their cloak, revealing an all-black battle uniform with three black Pokeballs.

Alex's body was starting to tremble in anger. "Eusine…we have to stop this guy. If we don't…I don't want to know what he or his kind are planning."

" _Really…of all the regions out there, it had to be the god damned Sinnoh region. I left that place behind 10 years ago, and I sure as hell have no desire to return there either. Freaking prick."_ Alex thinks to himself.

"Well, my friend. Let's deal with him. After that…we'll talk about that Suicune." Eusine rests a hand on Alex's shoulder for reassurance.

"Right. As for you…you'll wish you never met either one of us!" Alex glares at the guy.

"Hmm…if you say so. Tyrannitar!" The trainer calls on Tyrannitar.

"Take this one Alex. My Alakazam is no use against it." Eusine shakes his head.

"Right…Tundra, take flight!" Articuno emerges from its ball. "Let's begin…take aim with Mind Reader!" Articuno's eyes glow blue briefly once it has locked on target.

"Hmm…I should take your Articuno as a trophy after I wipe you both out. Tyrannitar, Rock Slide!" The Rock Slide manages to miss the target, which would have inflicted considerable damage to Articuno. _"Articuno huh? I didn't see that one coming. Guess I shouldn't get so mouthy."_

" _Hmm…Articuno? Alex has more surprises in him than I would have expected."_ Eusine nods, impressed by the legendary bird before him.

"Alright, go for the finish! Use Sheer Cold!" Articuno glows light blue, then flies at high speed towards Tyrannitar, before quickly ascending back into the air.

The trainer cringes, then gets a smug look on his face. "Fool…you missed." The trainer flips off Alex.

"If I were you, I wouldn't get so mouthy. Take a look at your Tyrannitar…you loudmouthed prick." Alex smirks. The other person's eyes widen as Tyrannitar is rapidly encased in ice and knocked out.

"You got lucky defeating Tyrannitar. You won't be so lucky when I unleash this. Shiftree!" The tree Pokemon emerges.

"Tundra, return." Articuno retreats. "Pyro…your turn!" The black Charizard emerges from its ball. "That Shiftree shouldn't be much of a threat. Use Fire Blast now!" The Fire Blast proceeds on target, while the trainer finds himself unable to react properly since he was not anticipating any resistance, especially if he ended up at a disadvantage. Fire Blast lands on Shiftree, knocking it out immediately.

"L…Last one. Muk…" Muk is the last Pokemon to be sent out.

"Please, let me handle this one Alex. Alakazam!" Eusine sends out Alakazam, while Alex recalls Pyro. "Psybeam…go!" The attack connects and takes care of Muk.

The trainer was beyond livid about being beaten so easily by trainers he viewed as weak and meddlesome. "I may have lost the battle, but I can still take Suicune with me!" The humiliated trainer tosses a black Pokeball towards Suicune, only to have it repelled by a massive Thunderbolt. "No…don't tell me THAT one is here too!"

Eusine and Alex look around to find the source of the lightning bolt. "Could it be…has Raikou come here as well?" Eusine says to himself.

" _Wrong! Try again…baby!"_

"That voice…Lt. Surge!" Surge steps out behind some bushes with his Raichu ready to fight. The man tries to run away, seeing as he is severely outclassed and outnumbered at this point. Alex tries to give chase, but Eusine holds him back.

"Not so fast! Magneton, use Thunder Wave to paralyze him!" Magneton appears from behind the bushes and emits a strong enough electrical pulse to keep the man from escaping.

Meanwhile, Eusine is struggling to hold Alex back. "The police are almost here. Let them deal with this!"

"Let go of me Eusine! I have a feeling as to why he and his associates want to go after Sinnoh…and it's not a good thing." Alex keeps struggling to get free, but then the police arrive to take control of the situation.

"Cerulean City Police! Stand down!" Jenny has her pistol pointed at the grunt. Alex finally stops struggling. "We found out that he was responsible for sabotaging the gym show, and for planting bombs around Cerulean City. Saffron City's bomb squads should have them contained shortly."

Lt. Surge speaks up. "Officer Jenny, with all due respect, we should probably turn this guy over to Interpol. I'm getting some bad vibes from him, given what he said earlier." Raichu and Magneton stand down.

Jenny raises an eyebrow "Lt. Surge, what did he say exactly?" Surge gestures towards Alex.

Alex steadies himself "Officer, that guy and his associates are conspiring to take over the world, using various legendary Pokemon. They intend to either enslave and/or exterminate humanity. I have reason to believe that something VERY specific in Sinnoh is their prime target. If they can even find it."

Officer Jenny's groaned a bit hearing about his plan. "That's just sick! Take him away immediately! As for you three, we'll have to ask you to provide some statements. After that, you're free to go." Alex, Surge, and Eusine do as they were instructed. Lt. Surge leaves soon after to resume his training session. Before the police leave, Jenny glances towards Alex. "I don't know if what he said will be enough to do anything. If he is in a group, the rest of them were probably tipped off to the situation by now. Just be careful in case you see any more of them around."

"Alright. Do what you need to do then officer. I just hope my instincts are wrong about what they really want in Sinnoh." Alex says to her before she leaves.

Jenny gets on her motorcycle. "See you around, hopefully not in the jail though." She and the other officers leave soon after that, with the still paralyzed Grunt in tow.

Eusine walks over to Alex after recalling his Alakazam. "Our business is unfinished here you know. We still have one last matter at hand to discuss, Alex." He points over towards Suicune. "It looks like it still wants to battle. Against you specifically. What do you say?"

 **(End Part 2)**


	4. Howl of the North Winds

**Pokémon: The Silver Savior**

 **Chapter 4: Destined Encounters, Part 3**

 **Howl of the North Winds**

Alex looks at Suicune, then back to Eusine. "But Eusine, haven't you been trying to find Suicune your entire life? If anyone, you should be the one battle it."

"My reasons for wanting to catch Suicune are different. I chased it to fulfill a childhood dream, and a promise to my grandfather. You on the other hand…Deep down, you now have the desire to prevent a major disaster that this group may cause. Then again, you also have a stronger idea as to what they might want in Sinnoh. Does that summarize it?" Eusine looks Alex square in the eyes.

Alex returns the gesture. "I suppose…"

"It's settled then. Just promise me one thing though: Whatever group that guy may belong to, if he isn't a lone wolf…take them down! I'll join you if you need help along the way at any point." Eusine backs away after registering his number with Alex. "Besides…Suicune was clearly looking towards you anyways. You know what to do now."

Alex faces Suicune. "Right Eusine, and consider it done. Suicune…guess it's you and me now." He approaches the ledge where Suicune is waiting for him. Upon taking his place, Suicune lets out a loud howl indicating that it is ready to battle, even though it was still recovering from earlier.

"Alright…Empoleon, let's do this!" The ball opens and unleashes Empoleon.

"Empoleon!"

"Empoleon, start with Steel Wing!" Suicune fires a Bubblebeam at Empoleon. Both attacks connect, but don't inflict much damage. The legendary beast starts meditating…

"That must be Calm Mind. Alex…be careful!" Eusine yells.

Alex nods. "Right. Empoleon…time to use Brine this time!" Though not overly effective, Brine still inflicts some damage on Suicune due to its injuries. It responds by using Water Gun. It also doesn't do much damage.

"Empoleon, return!" Alex recalls Empoleon. _"Pyro, and Dig Dig, would not stand much of a chance against Suicune. My only other option is…"_ "Tundra, you're up!" The shiny legendary bird emerges from its ball. "Let's slow it down…Ice Beam!" Ice Beam pierces through a Bubblebeam. That attack doesn't do much damage either, but it does cause some ice to form on Suicune.

"Now's your chance. Make it count Alex." Eusine eagerly awaits in anticipation.

A ball is grabbed from his bag. "Ultra Ball…Go!" The ball connects. It shakes once…twice…three times…then opens back up again. Suicune uses Water Gun on Tundra. "Hang on buddy, we're almost there. Let's try this once again." Alex hurls another Ultra Ball at Suicune. This one shakes once…twice…same result. Bubblebeam is fired after Suicune escapes this time. "Third time's the charm I guess." Alex pulls out another random ball from his bag. This time it was an extremely rare Master Ball given to him as gift by Archie, the leader of Hoenn's Team Aqua. It was given after Alex stopped a group of Team Magma goons from harming Shelly, one of Aqua's admins and Archie's love interest. "The Master Ball? Archie…I owe you one, you old sea dog. Go!" The Master Ball makes the connection with Suicune. It shakes three times, then… *Ding*

Eusine walks over to Alex to congratulate him on his newest catch. "A Master Ball? Didn't expect to see that. Regardless, you've earned this one."

"Thanks, Eusine. This has been a rather entertaining day to say the least. It would have been nice if he didn't have to mention Sinnoh though." Alex retrieves the ball with his newest ally. "What should I name this one?"

"Hmm…I would not know what to say. It's up to you on that one." Eusine looks off towards the horizon. "Deep down, something tells me that my journey has yet to conclude."

Alex nods "You might be right about that." A blue and purple blur runs past the duo at a high speed just before the bridge back to the city. "Wait a second. Was that what I think it was?"

"Guess we were both right Alex. Looks like my journey IS far from over. See you again." Eusine waves goodbye and starts running off in the direction of the newly spotted Suicune.

"I'm sure you will find your destiny one day as well, Eusine." As for Alex, he begins to contemplate what he may call Suicune. After about ten minutes of resting… "Hmm…I think Aurora should work nicely for you. Still…what could they possibly want in Sinnoh of all places." Alex ponders for a moment. "He said something about taking out or enslaving humanity using legendary Pokémon. Hmm…" It dawns on him that one specific Pokémon from Sinnoh lore would possess that much power. "That's impossible though. Arceus is only a myth. If it was real, wouldn't they need to find the Azure Flute to open its lair atop Mt. Coronet…if that relic exists at all?" Soon after that, Alex heads back to the Cerulean City Pokémon Center to heal his Pokémon. Just like in Fuchsia City, this Nurse Joy jumps at the sight of a legendary Pokémon, two of them no less.

"H…here you g…go." Nurse stutters slightly when returning his Pokémon.

Alex puts the four Pokeballs on his belt. "Oh, Nurse Joy. Do you by chance know how I could get to the Hoenn Region? I have some business to take care of in that area."

"Your best bet to reach the Hoenn Region is to take the train from Saffron City to Goldenrod City. From there, head for Olivine City and take a ship. You should be able to find one to get you to Slateport City if I'm not mistaken." Nurse Joy writes the information down for good measure, then hands the notes to Alex. Upon receiving them, Alex thanks Nurse Joy and starts heading south towards Saffron City. Before reaching the city limits of Cerulean, Alex is stopped by a woman who happens to be one of the Gym Leaders of Cerulean Gym.

"So like, you're Alex correct? I'm Daisy, one of the Gym Leaders of Cerulean Gym. I was asked to find you before you left the area." Daisy says to him.

Alex responds by raising an eyebrow "Yeah, I might be him. Why do you ask?"

Daisy holds out her hand. In it, she has a badge shaped like a tear drop. "It might seem improper, but I heard from Nurse Joy that you thwarted the guy who had sabotaged our show and tried to cause a lot of misfortune. My sisters and I all agreed that you ought to get this much for your trouble. It's the Cascade Badge of Cerulean Gym. Take it."

"It was no trouble at all, and I don't exactly feel right about taking a gym badge if I haven't rightfully battled for it." Alex tries to gently push her hand away, to no avail.

Daisy chuckles. "I was told that you would probably react this way. Please, my sisters and I would be insulted if you didn't take the badge. What you did for us…no, the entire city…is more than most trainers would have done. Seriously, just take the badge already!"

Reluctant, Alex caves in and takes the Cascade Badge from Daisy. He adds it to his other Kanto badge collection, which now makes four: Thunder, Soul, Volcano, and now the Cascade. "Thanks I guess, but won't the Pokemon League administration object to this?"

"Ohhhh, don't worry. They already know about what happened. Like, it just so happened that one of the board members was in town for our show. We cleared this with him, so no need to worry." Daisy retrieves a small brown envelope and hands it to Alex. "Here's a little something else from me and my other sisters." Daisy smiles and starts walking back towards the gym.

"Thanks Daisy. Stay safe." Alex waves goodbye to Daisy. After she is gone, and nobody else is around, Alex decides to look in the envelope. Inside is an advanced video copy of their newest performance. He puts it back in the envelope and hides it in his bag. From there, he heads back to Saffron City to try to locate a place to stay for the night.

 _ **6:00 PM**_

Once back in Saffron, Alex messages Surge about battling the next day.

(Conversation)

 _Hey Sparky, are you and Blaine busy tomorrow?_

 _Sparky? You should come up with a better line next time, baby. As for tomorrow, schedule's open so far. Why?_

 _Battle. 11AM sharp? Taking a train to Johto tomorrow afternoon._

 _I'll check with Chrome Dome._

 _Alright._

 _(A few minutes later)_

 _Chrome Dome said he will be here by 10AM tomorrow morning._

 _Alright. I'll be there._

(End Conversation)

"The gym appears to be open, and it looks like Sabrina might still be around. I should see what she is up to right now." Alex walks in to the gym's lobby, where a male receptionist stops him.

"I'm sorry sir, but the gym is closing and Miss Sabrina is done battling for the day. You will have to come back tomorrow for a gym battle." The receptionist walks in front of Alex and bars him from trying to go any further.

Alex rolls his eyes at the receptionist. "Well, I hate to inform you, but Sabrina gave me an invitation earlier this morning. The gym isn't closing for another hour. Under Pokémon League Policy 025.09 Subsection 2a, any gym that has set hours posted must remain open for all challengers until the designated time has elapsed, or if a sign is posted on the door that informs trainers accordingly. There is no sign on the door, so…I want to see Sabrina."

The receptionist glares at Alex, and goes to his computer. He grimaces seeing that Alex was right. "No matter, I won't let you pass. Leave…now." The receptionist blocks his path again.

"Now see here, you little prick…" Alex is starting get ticked off. "Sabrina told me this morning to come here when I had time. I am now giving you three choices. The first is that you shut up, and let me pass so I can see Sabrina. Two, I could document this entire incident and report it to the Kanto League Headquarters on the Indigo Plateau, potentially getting the gym shut down. As for the third, if you want me to do things the hard way, I could always introduce you to a very irritable…and hungry Charizard." Alex starts reaching for Pyro's ball.

The receptionist's eyes widen. "You wouldn't!"

"Try me." Just as Alex is about to deliver on his word, his body suddenly freezes still while the receptionist is pushed against a wall and held down telepathically. Sabrina warps in, with a ticked off look on her face and eyes glowing red.

"My apologies. Let me handle him." She turns to face her receptionist. "Jack, this is the third time this week that you've pulled this little stunt! I hate to break it to you, but yes…I did invite Alex to come here when I saw him earlier today. Yes, he is right about League policies. Yes, he fully intended to deliver on his word, especially on the Charizard. The gym is open for another hour, and I will battle anyone if my Pokémon are still up to it. I've had enough of this laziness out of you, especially when my career and reputation are both at risk. Grab your things and get out! Your services to the Saffron Gym are no longer required. Make it quick, or I will let him handle it." Sabrina releases her telepathic hold on Jack. He grabs his belongings and quickly runs out of the gym, afraid of dealing with a hungry Charizard, or an angry Sabrina.

Once Jack leaves, Sabrina releases her hold on Alex with an apologetic look on her face. "Sorry about that. Didn't exactly want you to end up with homicide on your record, let alone having Interpol knowing your possible whereabouts either."

"Yeah, guess you have a good point. What will you do now?" Alex makes sure that he has full control over his body again.

"Well, I suppose I must close the gym early, and reopen later tomorrow." Sabrina writes on a piece of paper, then tapes it to the door of the gym.

 _Due to an unforeseen staffing issue, the Saffron City Gym will be closing early tonight. We will resume normal operations after noon tomorrow. – Sabrina, Saffron City Gym Leader_

"I'm sure you already know why I came here." Alex sits down on a nearby sofa.

Sabrina joins him soon after. "Yeah. Unfortunately, that will have to wait until tomorrow."

"Tomorrow will not work on that. I'm supposed to be in Vermillion City before 11AM for a Tag Team battle with Surge and Blaine both. After that, I'm boarding a train to Goldenrod City in the Johto region, then from Olivine to Slateport by ship." Alex relaxes into the sofa a little more. "Are you willing to do a one on one battle with me?"

Sabrina grins a little "Gladly. Follow me to the gym floor." She sends a message to one of the referees to be waiting at the main gym floor, and that it is an official gym battle.

As they take their respective places, the referee approaches her pedestal. "This will be an official gym battle between Sabrina, the Saffron City Gym Leader, and the challenger Alexander, of Fortree City in Hoenn. Each competitor will be allowed one Pokémon. Begin!"

 _ **8:00 PM**_

Alex finds himself standing just outside the gym, with Sabrina standing by the door.

Sabrina smiles a little. "I'm glad that you decided to stop by today."

"So am I, Sabrina. I suppose I should probably go back to Vermillion and get a hotel room again."

Sabrina rests her hand on his shoulder. "Yeah. Still, I hope you aren't right about Sinnoh."

"Reading my thoughts, eh? I ought to do something about that." Alex gets a contemplative look on his face.

Sabrina gives him a funny look in response "Oh? What will you do about it?"

"In due time. Until then, good day Sabrina." Alex starts back towards Vermillion City, while Sabrina heads to her house for the night.

 **This chapter was much longer than I had planned. It was supposed to be a one-part chapter initially. In case anyone was going to bring up Gen. VII, I started writing this before Sun and Moon were ever announced, so all move pools will be based on what was featured in Gen. VI. Alola Region Pokémon will not be involved in the story at all.**

 **As for later chapters, I may or may not decide to have Cynthia keeping her promise to Alex when the story gets to that point. 10 years is a long time to wait for someone (Then again, my ex thought 3 weeks after I graduated college was too long).**

 **Next chapter: Homeward Bound - Return to Slateport City**


	5. Return to Slateport City

_Sabrina rests her hand on his shoulder. "Yeah. Still, I hope you aren't right about Sinnoh."_

" _Reading my thoughts, eh? I ought to do something about that." Alex gets a contemplative look on his face._

 _Sabrina gives him a funny look in response "Oh? What will you do about it?"_

" _In due time. Until then, good day Sabrina." Alex starts back towards Vermillion City, while Sabrina heads to her house for the night._

 **Pokémon: The Silver Savior**

 **Chapter 5: Homeward Bound - Return to Slateport City**

 **7:00 AM**

As Alex sleeps, he remembers when he was once in love with someone a few years after he settled in to a somewhat normal life in Hoenn. Someone who had ultimately hurt him in more ways than one.

 **Flashback - Proposal**

 _Alex and Amber, his girlfriend at the time, were in Lilycove City on a shopping trip. While she was browsing the various sections of the Lilycove Department Store, Alex manages to slip away long enough to visit the jewelry dealer on a different floor without Amber realizing what he had planned. The employee at the jewelry dealer greets him in a pleasant manner._

" _Hi there, can I help you find anything?" The jeweler asks Alex. His name tag says 'Mitchell'._

 _Alex pulls out his wallet. "Yes actually. I'm looking for an engagement ring. What do you have on hand, Mitchell?"_

 _Mitchell shows him towards the rings. "Right this way sir. We have quite a selection on hand." He shows Alex the various rings in the case. "Perhaps this one might be of interest to you." He l out a simple ring with three diamonds on it. The center diamond is somewhat larger than the other two gems._

" _Hmm…It looks like the right size to me. How much does it cost though?" Alex asks, dreading the possible response._

" _Not to worry, this one is not too expensive. It will cost about…" Mitchell punches a few numbers into a calculator "$990, counting sales tax and so on."_

 _Alex ponders it for a moment. "That should work just fine for me. I was going to say keep it under $1000, but it looks to me like you did that with no problem."_

" _Excellent. I'll get this rung up for you then." Mitchell rings up the order, then hands the ring to Alex after he pays for it. Once the purchase is done, Alex finds Amber again. This time, she was waiting near the front entrance._

" _Took you long enough." Amber gives him a peck on the cheek._

 _Alex grins "Yeah, sorry. Couldn't find the watch I wanted to get. Oh well, it happens. Shall we head to the lighthouse for a few to catch the sunset?"_

" _Sounds like a plan to me." Amber takes his arm as they walk towards the lighthouse. They arrive just in time to catch the sunset. She can tell that something is on his mind just from the look on his face. "Thinking about something?"_

" _Oh…yeah. Actually…I've been thinking about a lot of things lately." Alex discreetly fumbles with the ring box in his pocket. "Remember how you asked me to think about what I wanted to do with my life?"_

" _Yeah, I remember." Amber turns towards him._

" _Well…one thing I would like is to become a gym leader. Heck, I wouldn't object to being one of the Hoenn League's Elite Four. But…" Alex pauses for a moment._

 _She looks Alex in the eyes. "But what?"_

" _The one thing I want more than that…the one thing that would make it all worth fighting for. That would be the person standing in right in front of me right now. You." Alex gently grasps her left hand as tears start forming in her eyes._

" _Alex…do you mean that…?" Amber starts to lightly sob. Before she realizes it, he is already starting to kneel in front of her. Her right hand instinctively covers her mouth._

 _Alex produces the ring box and opens it in front of her. "When I first moved to Hoenn, I never would have guessed that I would be able to change myself for the better. More importantly, I did not expect to fall for someone as amazing as you are. So…" Alex starts to choke up a bit himself "Will you…marry me?" Alex can barely maintain his composure at this point._

 _Tears pour from Amber's eyes as she kisses him happily and answers him by saying "YES!" Alex takes the ring from the box and slides it onto her left ring finger. They kiss each other again as a cameraman takes a snapshot of them in front of the sunset._

 **End Flashback**

 **8:00 AM**

Alex wakes up in a cold sweat. "Good grief. Just when I decide to head back to Sinnoh after all these years, I happen to remember _that_ of all things. Don't know why I still think about her, after that stunt she pulled on me on our wedding day. Oh well, she made her decision and will have to live with the consequences." Alex gets up to shower, then grabs a decent breakfast before heading over to Vermillion Gym to have his double battle with Blaine and Lt. Surge.

 **11:00 AM**

Lt. Surge and Blaine are waiting patiently for Alex outside of the gym.

"About time you got here. Chrome Dome here was starting to grow hair again." Surge says in a joking manner.

Blaine nudges his glasses "Sparky here was starting to get gray hairs on his head."

"Good grief you two. Anyways, we have a battle to take care of if I recall correctly." Alex draws one of his Pokeballs. "To the battle arena."

Surge and Blaine lead the way, while Alex follows suit. Once they arrive at the battle site, a referee is already waiting for them. Alex takes his place, while Surge and Blaine take theirs.

The referee announces the battle. "This is an official tag team gym battle between the challenger Alexander Jordan of Slateport City versus the team of Lt Surge the Vermillion City Gym Leader, and Blaine the Cinnabar Island Gym Leader. The gym leaders are allowed two Pokémon each, with the challenger being allowed a total of four. Competitors…Begin!"

 **12:00 PM – End of the battle**

The referee raises his flag. "Raichu and Magmar are unable to battle! Suicune and Diglett win, and the match goes to Alexander of Slateport City!"

Alex recalls his Pokémon. "Aurora, Dig Dig…you've fought valiantly. Return!"

"Well youngster, looks like you've earned those badges fair and square. What do you say Sparky?" Blaine grins.

Lt. Surge starts laughing. "Ha ha…I couldn't have said it better myself Chrome Dome!"

Blaine comments again "To think that I got to know a trainer with not one, but two legendary Pokémon in their possession. I'm impressed."

"Ha ha, thanks Blaine. I never would have expected such a thing to happen at all to be honest with you." Alex secures his Pokeballs back onto his belt. "Not to be rude or anything, but I do have a train to catch soon. Would like to stay longer if I could. Have to take care of a few things back in Hoenn first, and then on to…" He gulps "…Sinnoh."

Surge's eyes widen. "Sinnoh?! Are you crazy?! Aren't you a wanted criminal back there? It's crazy even thinking about going back there."

"Yeah kiddo. Just like Sparky said. The moment you step onto the pier in Sunnyshore City or wherever you dock, the authorities will cuff you on the spot. Unless you're somehow lucky and they don't recognize you right away, you may last around a week or two before they catch on to you." Blaine tells him in a serious tone. "It's not worth the risk."

"That may be true Blaine, but…it is necessary. I can't keep running from my entire past forever." Alex tells Blaine.

Surge says one last thing to Alex before he goes back into the gym. "That may be true. Just be careful, alright. I'd hate for you to put so much effort into all of this, and have it backfire on you."

Blaine follows Surge, but not before imparting a few last words to Alex. "Best of luck to you youngster. Just remember what we told you. Be careful if you do end up going back. If it isn't the police that get you, it just might be Interpol…or Team Galactic themselves. I'm sure your old teammates would love to eviscerate a traitor to their cause." With that, Blaine goes into the gym. Alex, on the other hand, proceeds north towards Saffron City to board the Magnet Train to Goldenrod City.

Instead of walking, Alex chooses a quicker way to there. He calls out his Articuno "Tundra…take us to Saffron City!" Tundra nods, then crouches. Alex hops on, and then they take off to Saffron City in no time at all.

 **1:00 PM – Magnet Train Station**

Alex lands near the Train Station and recalls Articuno back into its ball. Once in the terminal, he walks up to the ticket counter to purchase a pass to Goldenrod City.

"Hi. Going to Goldenrod City?" The attendant asks.

Alex hands over some money to the attendant. "Yes I am. One-way trip, just me. This amount should cover it."

The attendant takes the money and gives Alex a pass. "Here you go. The train is boarding in 15 minutes. The entry point is over there. Feel free to take a seat until then. Have a good day." The attendant points to the seating area, and to the entry point. Alex takes a seat until an announcement goes over the PA system.

" _Attention. The Magnet Train to Goldenrod City is now boarding. Please proceed to the entry terminal for boarding."_

Alex and about a dozen other people board the train. He finds a seat and sits down. Little does he realize; an undercover Interpol agent has been following him since Alex was first seen in Saffron City the day before. The train takes off once everyone is seated. Alex does not hear the undercover agent sending a transmission to his superior.

…

" _Agent Fox to Agent Looker. The one formerly known as Pluto has been spotted and is heading west towards Goldenrod City." Fox says to Looker._

 _Looker responds "Alright. Keep me updated. Do no lose sight of him. Do you know what his destination will be?"_

" _Agent Looker, I have reason to believe that he is heading for an unknown destination in the Hoenn Region." Fox replies._

" _Alright. If you lose sight of him, report in immediately. Looker out."_

…

About one hour after it leaves Saffron City, the train arrives in Goldenrod City.

 **2:30 PM – Goldenrod Train Station**

Alex leaves the train station, with the agent still following him. He grabs a small bite to eat at a nearby street vendor before heading north into the countryside. Once in a less crowded area, he calls out Tundra and flies towards Olivine City. After he leaves, the agent following him radios in and tells Looker of the situation.

…

" _Agent Looker, I've lost sight of Pluto. I believe he is heading in the direction of Olivine City now."_ _Fox tells him._

 _Looker replies "Very well. I'll notify our people in Hoenn to keep an eye out for him."_

…

 **3:30 PM – Olivine City**

After he lands in Olivine about 45 minutes later, Alex finds that the ship will be delayed for a few hours. Apparently, something is causing the weather near the Whirl Islands to become erratic.

"Whirl Islands? Isn't that where…better check it out just in case it might be that." Alex thinks to himself before calling out Empoleon and hopping onto its back. "Empoleon, full speed ahead! Next stop…the Whirl Islands!" Empoleon speeds through the waters towards the Whirl Islands where violent storms are already brewing. Once there, Empoleon dispels a whirlpool so they can get safely onto land. Just like with Cerulean City, a female grunt in similar black attire is seen. This time, with a baby Lugia trapped in a cage.

"Oh man, the bosses are going to be thrilled once I bring them the baby of a legendary Pokémon. This was too easy." The grunt says to herself, thinking there was nobody else around.

Alex immediately recalls Empoleon and calls out Tundra and Aurora, alerting the grunt in the process. "Looks like it was you harming the baby Lugia that was causing these storms. Better hurry this up. I have a boat to catch."

"Eh, who are you? Oh, a would-be hero. Just the kind I like." The grunt readies herself for a fight before seeing the two legendary Pokémon staring her down.

"I wouldn't advise trying to attack. I just might have to mop the floor with you like I did with your associate back in Cerulean City. If I even give you that much time." Alex smirks.

"So, it was you who stopped our plans back in Cerulean huh? No matter." The grunt reaches for one of her two Pokeballs. "Magmar!" Magmar emerges from its ball.

"You must be a rookie trainer. That was clearly not a wise choice, considering that it happens to be raining right now." Alex points out that Magmar is getting weaker from the rain. "Aurora, finish it quickly. Use Calm Mind, then follow up with Water Gun!" Between the rain, wind, and the powered-up Water Gun, Magmar did not stand a chance and was knocked out with no problem.

"You brat…I'll teach you a lesson. Tropius!" The plant Pokémon emerges while Magmar is recalled.

Alex scans it with his Pokedex since he is unfamiliar with it. _"Tropius, the Fruit Pokémon. It is a Grass and Flying type Pokémon found commonly in the Hoenn Region. Children of the southern tropics eat as snacks the fruit that grows in bunches around the neck of Tropius. This Pokémon flies by flapping the leaves on its back as if they were wings."_ Just as Alex signals Tundra to stand by, a large tornado spawns from the water before disappearing and revealing an angry Lugia. "Well, looks like I don't have to worry now."

The grunt glares at Alex. "What do you me…oh…fuck." The grunt turns around and recalls her Tropius just in time for the Lugia to hit her with its signature move Aeroblast. The blast sends her flying towards the shores of Cianwood City, and into the clutches of the police. Alex manages to avoid the first attack, but finds himself being stared down by the Lugia, ready to attack him as well. His other Pokémon emerge simultaneously to protect him from the angry legendary, including Dig Dig which uses the distraction to free the baby Lugia from its confines before retreating due to its disliking of the rain. Lugia communicates with Alex telepathically.

…

" _How dare you hurt my child!"_

"You've got to believe me. I'm not with the other person at all."

" _You lie! You humans call who yourselves trainers are all the same! Hurting innocent babies, then trying to claim innocence."_

"I'm telling you that I had nothing to do with what happened to your baby."

" _Enough of your lies human! Your life is forfeit!"_ Lugia starts to power up another Aeroblast, this time with clearly lethal intent. The liberated baby flies up to its mother, pleading with her in the hope that its mother will see that Alex helped save it.

" _Are you sure?"_ The baby Lugia makes a sound of approval. The adult Lugia turns towards Alex once more.

" _My apologies. It seems I was mistaken. My child is telling me that you did not cause it harm."_ A blue aura appears around Lugia, and the storms start clearing up. _"We shall go back into our cavern. If you are ever in danger, we will come to aid you. Our minds are now linked. Fare thee well warrior. We shall meet again one day."_ Both Lugia dive back into the water, and presumably back into their cavern.

…

"Ah man, I could have left here with a Lugia on my team. Huh…what's this?" Alex finds a Silver Feather on the ground. He smiles, remembering the parting words from the adult Lugia. "Yes, I'm sure we will meet again. Well…time to head back to Olivine. Have a boat to catch. Empoleon, let's go." Empoleon hops into the water, while his other Pokémon are recalled once more. Together, they clear the whirlpool impeding their progress and proceed back to Olivine.

 **5:30 PM – Olivine City Port**

The boat is getting ready to leave just as they arrive. "Well…looks like made it just it in time buddy. Return!" Empoleon returns to its ball just as the boat leaves the pier.

A person speaks over the intercom "Attention passengers, your next destination in two days' time will be Slateport City in the Hoenn Region."

Alex smiles as he thinks to himself _"ONWARD…TO SLATEPORT CITY!"_

The next two days seem to pass by quickly. Before Alex realizes it, the boat is now docking at Slateport City.

…

 **Well, hope you enjoyed my story so far. Still have some ground to cover yet before he finally makes it back to Sinnoh. If you have any reasonable comments, questions, or reviews…you know what to do. Peace out for now!**


	6. Moving On

_The next two days seem to pass by quickly. Before Alex realizes it, the boat is now docking at Slateport City._

…

 **Author's note: The flashback in this chapter will include multiple perspectives. Some of it includes when the OC is in the hospital and a few characters close to him have a brief confrontation with his ex. As for future chapters, no flashbacks are likely to be included. This chapter is longer than planned because of the flashback scene.  
**

 **Disclaimer: There will be an excess amount of foul language in this chapter compared to what I normally would use. Some derogatory slurs will also be used. In no way do I condone saying such things to anyone. It is solely for the sake of telling the story.  
**

 **Pokémon: The Silver Savior**

 **Chapter 6: Moving On**

 _ **8:30 AM – Two days after leaving Olivine City**_

Alex is just finishing his breakfast as an announcement goes over the ship's intercom. _"Attention passengers, we are now docking at Slateport City in the Hoenn Region. If this is your destination, please make your way to the main deck in an orderly and timely fashion. Thank you."_

"Wow, time went by quicker than I had thought it would." Alex says to himself. About 40 other people are exiting at Slateport City along with him. Once he exits the terminal, a feeling of dread washes over him. It was right there in Slateport City that his whole life had turned upside down six months before that day. The same unfortunate event that started the journey he was now on…the day he was ditched at the altar.

 **Flashback – Ditched at the Altar**

 _It was a grand summer day in Slateport City. Having seemingly escaped from his past for good, Alex had built a new and brighter life in the Hoenn Region. It was on this day, a day that he never would have thought possible, that he was about to marry the love of his life. It was a smaller ceremony due to Alex not having any family members in Hoenn aside from his cousin Wallace, the reigning Champion of Hoenn, along with Wallace's parents and younger siblings. Along with Wallace, the former champion Steven Stone was more than happy to act as a groomsman at Wallace's request given the circumstances. It was painfully clear to both Wallace and Steven that Alex was nervous about the impending ceremony._

" _Relax Alex. Don't start getting cold feet on us here." Wallace says to him. "You've made it this far. It won't be long now."_

 _Steven also comments "Wallace is right. I mean, it is normal to feel that way. But think of it like this: The woman you love dearly is going to be your wife soon. You have been through far worse after all."_

" _Don't remind me of that Steven. I would much rather be here and sweating over this, than rotting in prison from Cyrus selling me out. Or worse, he could have had me killed instead." Alex sighs. "Don't worry Wallace. I'm not backing out just yet. It's just…for some reason, I have a bad feeling about today. I don't know why."_

" _Maybe it's your nerves talking. I'm sure everything will be just fine Alex." Steven says to him._

" _I have to agree with Steven. Everything will be fine." Wallace looks down at this watch. "Well gentlemen, I guess it's showtime now. We best be getting out there." Alex, Wallace, and Steven enter the wedding area and take their respective locations by the altar. Shortly after, the lone bridesmaid makes her entrance, followed by the maid of honor._

 _Presiding over the ceremony, Professor Birch says to the crowd "Everyone, please stand up" just before the bride's music starts to play. It continues for about 5 minutes before people start to realize that something was off when the bride is a no-show. Alex is the most worried of everyone._

" _Wallace, Steven…something's not right here. A bride isn't this late to her own wedding. It's not like her at all." Alex's voice shows concern with his bride-to-Be's whereabouts. "Maybe we should go look for her."_

 _In the seats on the bride's side, her younger brother saw everything unfolding and tries to contact her, but to no avail. "Alex, I'll go look for her. Wait here, I'll be right back." He immediately runs back to where her tent is to see if she is in there. Finding no trace of her at all other than a note she left behind, he runs back to others._

" _Everyone…she's gone! All I found was this note." Her brother Andrew says to everyone, earning gasps and varied negative reactions from her family. He hands the note to Alex._

 _Alex reads it, and it stated her true intentions. His heart rate and already high stress level pass an unsafe threshold. "What…why…?" Alex manages to say before he collapses in front of everyone. Andrew tries to get Alex to respond, but is unable to get any response. This causes a panic to unfold._

 _Winona, Wallace's fiancée, immediately signals for help by using her Altaria. By sheer luck, a doctor happened to be close by and answers the call. Wallace and Steven take the note from Alex's hand and read it. They are immediately angered, not just at what she did that day, but also that she had planned that stunt the whole time. They hand the note to Professor Birch, who becomes just as livid as they are._

 _The doctor attending to Alex calls for an ambulance. "I'm at the Slateport Beach, and I need an ambulance." The doctor says to the dispatcher. "My name is Doctor William Robinson, and I have a gentleman who is unresponsive at a wedding. From what I've been told, he was supposed to be the groom. I'll try to stabilize him until you get here." The doctor tries to stabilize Alex long enough for the ambulance to arrive._

 _Wallace and Steven try to keep the crowds calm, while keeping a clear path for the ambulance as it arrives on the scene. The medics arrive and take Alex to the nearby hospital._

 _Professor Birch is shaking from anger. "That little bitch. How can she do something like that? He did nothing to deserve this. I don't care what he did in the past. He worked his ass off to put that behind him. He really deserves better." Birch says while vainly trying to keep calm._

 _ **At the hospital**_

 _An unresponsive Alex is rushed into a room that was already on standby after the hospital had received the call. As they are following Alex, Wallace and the others hear a female voice talking to of the staff members. They freeze in their tracks upon realizing who it is._

" _I wonder if Alex had any idea of what was in store for him. If only I could have seen the look on his face when he found out that I never intended to marry him at all. What a worthless piece of trash!" That voice belonged to none other than Amber. A male next to her laughed._

 _Professor Birch responds to the conversation while keeping his back turned. "I can't imagine how much of a two-faced ungrateful whore someone would be to lead a person on, ditch them on their wedding day, and cheat for Arceus knows how long besides. Then have the fucking nerve to laugh about it like it was some damn joke." Wallace and the others were surprised hearing that sort of language from Professor Birch._

 _Amber takes notice and gets ticked off. "What the hell did you say to me old man?" Professor Birch turns around and Amber realizes that she screwed up royally. "Professor Birch?"_

" _That's right. I can't believe you did that to him. Actually…yes, I can. Your behavior is repulsive, and quite frankly, I should have expected as much from you considering your attitude when you got your first Pokemon. Personally, I'd love nothing less than to revoke your trainer's license right here." Birch's face was still red from anger._

 _Still ticked off, she replies "Like it matters anyways what you have to say anyways Birch. Alex had it coming to him anyways. Since he's not in the way now, all I need to do is win three more gym badges. Once that happens, I will go on to the league finals and face the Elite Four."_

 _Winona dry heaves a bit at her statement before speaking up next. "Let me guess…one of those badges would just so happen to be the Feather Badge from the Fortree City Gym. Am I right?" She faces Amber along with Wallace and Steven. "That would be MY gym…and MY badge. I would know damn well that you haven't earned it yet, you tramp."_

 _"Winona?! What the heck is going on here? Why are Steven and Wallace here as well?" Amber is caught off guard seeing that the man she screwed over is on good terms with one of the gym leaders she has yet to face.  
_

 _"I'm with Professor Birch on this one." Steven says in disappointed tone. "Amber…You're a disgrace to the Hoenn League and Pokémon trainers worldwide. You should be ashamed of yourself. Wallace and I were going to be groomsman and best man for Alex since he doesn't really have much of a family at all. Winona is here because she is engaged to Wallace. Then again, if you gave a crap about Alex from the start, you would have remembered even that much."_

 _Wallace glares at Amber. "My thoughts exactly Steven. Amber, what you did to my cousin is beyond atrocious. It's taking every ounce of my willpower not to unleash my Pokémon against you right here and now. I would revoke your trainer's license…if I had that authority. It's a good thing I don't, because I would also see you blacklisted in every region and every league besides. Plus, a decent criminal record to boot." Amber is shaking from fear seeing how Wallace gets when he is angry. Wallace glances over and notices another familiar face in the area. "Well, what do you know? Looks like Officer Jenny is in the area. Convenient."_

 _Jenny notices the ruckus and walks over. "Professor Birch, Wallace, Steven, Winona. Alright, what's going on here?"_

 _"Officer, this woman's recent actions are beyond horrible. Read this note. It explains everything that went down in detail." Professor Birch hands the note over. Jenny's face changes from calm to absolute disgust upon learning about what Amber had planned all along. "He is in another room right now, hopefully stabilizing after from what I hope isn't a stress induced heart attack caused by her scheme. Horrible for someone that young to be pushed that far. I just hope he makes it through this mess."_

 _Jenny turns to Amber and her lover. "Alright, both of you are coming with me. We have much to talk about." Jenny calls for another officer to come to the hospital. Together, Amber and her lover are handcuffed and taken down to the police station, but not before Winona drives the final nail into the coffin._

 _"Oh, and Amber, right?" Winona pauses for a moment, "I can barely keep myself from vomiting or giving you a major thrashing after that stunt you pulled today. He loved you without question. We all watched as he worked himself to the bone paying for the wedding by himself. Hell, he even refused to take any of the money Wallace and I wanted to give him to help pay for the wedding. After all that, this is how you thank him for it?! I've met some pathetic people before, but you take the cake hands down, and the icing to go with it! As of this day forward, you are banned from the Fortree City Gym for life. Without my gym badge, your twisted desire to advance to the Hoenn League finals and face the Elite Four goes up in smoke. Just like what you did to Alex's desire for happiness today. If you even so much as step foot on gym property, I'll personally have you arrested and charged with criminal trespass. Even if you're still a trainer by then."_

 _Amber groans in defeat as she and her would be lover are taken to the police station. The four witnesses provide their statements and go on their way._

 **End Flashback**

Alex stops to catch his breath. "Wow…talk about Déjà vu on that one." He says to himself. For the moment, he checks out the market vendors at the Slateport Market before being spotted by a once familiar face.

"Alex? Where have you been hiding all this time?" That voice belonging to his ex's brother, Andrew.

"Oh, hey Andrew. It's a long story. Wanted to go traveling for a while to get away from the chaos from a few months ago." Alex says to him.

Andrew nods. "I understand. I'm just here picking up some supplies like usual. Dad was worried about you when you disappeared without a trace for six months. Look...it's not easy for me to bring this up at all, but…Sorry about what my sister did you. I heard about everything that went down at the hospital. What she did to you was just plain wrong, and I cannot in good faith ever take her side on anything she tried to accuse you of. I can't even so much as call her my sister any longer. All I hope is that she got what was coming to her."

"Thanks. I still can't help but think of you like a brother regardless of what happened. That won't change to me. Oh, and do give your parents my regards when you get home." Alex and Andrew bump fists one last time before parting ways once again.

"Oh, hey. You might want to hightail it to Sootopolis City. There's something going on that you might want to see if it isn't too late." Andrew hands him an envelope that was addressed to Alex before he goes back home. Alex opens it and then makes a beeline to Sootopolis after making a quick purchase.

 _ **11:30 AM - Sootopolis City – In front of the Cave of Origin**_

A priest speaks before a crowd near the conclusion of a wedding ceremony after rings are exchanged. "Wallace, do you take Winona to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?"

Wallace smiles and says just two words to Winona. "I do."

"Winona, do you take Wallace to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?"

"I do." Winona says with a tear and a smile.

The priest finishes the ceremony. "What Arceus has brought together this day, let no man tear apart. With that said…By the power vested in me by the Hoenn League, Sootopolis City, and by everyone here today…Wallace and Winona, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Wallace…you may kiss your bride." Very few dry eyes remained as Wallace kisses Winona, signaling the beginning of their marriage. The people in attendance roar in applause, before everyone gradually makes their exit. A flurry of snow falls from the sky as the first pictures of the newlyweds are being taken.

"Wait a sec Wallace. The skies are clear. How is it snowing?" Winona looks up in the sky and sees Alex's Articuno flying overhead. "My goodness…it's Articuno!"

Wallace gives Winona a peck on the cheek. "Remember the stories? When Articuno flaps its wings, it is said to make snow fall. It doesn't make sense that it would fly above our wedding, unless it has a trainer that asked it to do so. Oh, would you look at that! It's descending towards us."

Tundra gracefully lands on the ground outside of the ceremony. Winona is ticked off thinking it is just another wedding crasher trying to make an entrance. "You have a lot of nerve trying to crash our wedding! Who the hell do you think you are?"

Alex hops off and replies "Jeez Winona. I thought you and Wallace would be happy to see me after I've been gone all this time. Don't worry, I'm not able to stick around for very long."

"A…Alex? I thought you were dead." Wallace looks like he's seen a ghost. "When you disappeared without a trace, we feared the worst."

"Sorry Wallace. I just couldn't deal with heartache from that mess any longer. Couldn't go anywhere without random people bringing it up to me, outside of a select few who I will not mention. Call it a self-imposed exile if you will. It did me a lot of good in the end." Alex gestures towards Tundra. "Found a few new Pokémon for my team. Two of which are legendary."

Wallace is shocked. "Two legendary Pokémon! What's the other one?"

Winona walks up to Tundra. "Is it safe to pet it? You know how I am with Flying-types."

"Yes, it's safe, and I'm quite aware of how much you like Flying-types. It's your gym's specialty after all. Before I forget, here's a small something for you two." Alex hands a small package to Wallace which contains their wedding gift from him. Winona is happy being up close to one of the legendary birds. Tundra chirps happily at the attention it is receiving. "As for your question Wallace…" Alex calls out Aurora, his Suicune.

"No. Way. You found a Suicune? Color me impressed." To say that Wallace is shocked is an understatement.

Alex grins. "I sure did, Wallace. Never would have expected to encounter one, or even two legendary Pokémon…or have an opportunity to catch any for that matter. Hope my entrance didn't spoil anything for either of you."

"Nope. If anything, I'd say that flurry you created made things more memorable for us." Winona says to Alex. "That was certainly an amazing wedding gift if I do say so."

Alex tears slightly. "Thanks Winona. Since I wasn't able to formally respond to the invitation, I wanted to at least help make it somewhat memorable for you. As I'll say to both of you several times over: Be grateful every day that you have somebody. Part of me would like to be able to say the same thing even to this day. Anyways, I hate to cut this visit short, but I do have another stop to make before I leave Hoenn again. Would either of you know what direction I could fly to reach the Sky Pillar from here in a shorter amount of time?"

Wallace easily figures out why Alex wants to go to the Sky Pillar. "It's southwest of the city. Should be easy to spot, especially from the sky. Am I correct in guessing that you want to find out if… _it_...is possibly around?"

"That obvious, huh Wallace? But yes, I do have interest in that certain Pokémon that is said to be spotted around there every now and then. After that…I'm going back."

Winona is curious. "Back to where exactly?"

"To take care of some unfinished business. Back in Sinn-!" Alex can't finish speaking before Wallace angrily grabs him by his jacket collar and nearly his throat.

Wallace yells at Alex. "Are you completely out of your mind Alex!? I understand you're still down about what happened six months ago and all. But to go back THERE is just suicidal! If the authorities don't get their hands on you, I'm sure your old pals from Team Galactic will, even after all that time has passed. After what I've seen from Team Magma in the past, I know darn well what they would do to you. Please, just promise me that you won't go back there at all. I already thought I lost you once when you disappeared on us over the last six months. I can't imagine how I, or even how Winona might react, if something really did happen to you. You know how small our family is these days Alex, even with my marriage to Winona. I don't want it to become even smaller. At least for the sake of our family, promise me and Winona…you will not go back to the Sinnoh Region." Wallace lets go of Alex's jacket.

Alex brushes himself slightly. "You know Wallace. You really shouldn't lose your cool like that on your wedding day, in front of so many people no less. It's hard to make such a promise when you half strangled me in a fit of anger. But, if it makes you feel better, I promise I will not go back to the Sinnoh region." One of his hands had been concealed in his jacket sleeve, crossing his fingers.

Winona feels as if Alex is lying to them about not going back to Sinnoh, but doesn't want to make things more turbulent than they already are. "Fine with me. Just remember, fly southwest from Sootopolis, and that should make it easier to see. It's really a sight to see. Wallace took me to see it a while back, and it was at the top of the tower where he proposed to me."

"Thanks Winona…or should I also call you cousin now?" Alex hugs Winona lightly. "Well, I guess this is where we go our separate ways again. Don't have too much fun on your honeymoon. Oh, and Wallace? I hope I won't have to think about any little cousins on the way for a while. But seriously, best of luck to the both of you. Our paths will cross again. I'm certain of that." Alex hops on to Tundra's back. "Tundra, can you do one last thing for them before we go?" Alex whispers something to Tundra as they take off. Once Alex and Tundra are far enough away, another light flurry falls from the sky, allowing for a few more pictures to be taken.

"I really hope we see him again soon." Winona says to Wallace.

Wallace kisses his wife. "I couldn't agree more, my love."

Once Alex is away from Sootopolis, he thinks to himself and sheds a small tear. _"Wallace, Winona…I'm sorry. I cannot keep that promise I made to you. Regardless if I do find Rayquaza atop of the Sky Pillar, I must go back to Sinnoh to confront Cyrus once and for all. It's the only way I can truly cleanse my soul of my past transgressions. I hope that both of you will understand this one day. I will be back to see you two again. You can hold me to it."_

Once the Sky Pillar becomes visible, one more thought crosses his mind as he and Tundra accelerate towards it with renewed confidence. _**"Prepare yourself…your final hour will soon arrive…Cyrus!"**_

" _ **You might be a king or little street sweeper, but sooner or later Cyrus…You'll dance with the reaper. And that reaper…will be ME!"**_

…

 **Another completed chapter in the bag. While difficult for me to type at times since it mirrors some actual events from my recent life, I found this chapter enjoyable to work on as well. Not going to spoil much about the next chapter, except that it will see a much-needed cameo. You might be wondering what surprises are in store for Alex at the Sky Pillar. All I will say is that there's only one way to find out.**

 **If any of you are wondering, the end quote was based on a quote from the movie Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey. Watch the movie if you haven't yet. Just don't Melvin your friends. Seriously.**

 **Peace for now.**


	7. Sky High Showdown

_Once the Sky Pillar becomes visible, one more thought crosses his mind as he and Tundra accelerate towards it with renewed confidence. "Prepare yourself…your final hour will soon arrive…Cyrus!"_

" _You might be a king or little street sweeper, but sooner or later Cyrus…You'll dance with the reaper. And that reaper…will be ME!"_

 **Pokémon: The Silver Savior**

 **Chapter 7: Sky High Showdown**

 _ **1:00 PM – Near the Sky Pillar, Hoenn**_

Tundra's speed increases as the Sky Pillar becomes visible. Within minutes of spotting the tower, they arrive at their destination.

"Tundra, time for you to take a well-deserved rest. Return!" Alex recalls Articuno to its ball before entering the Sky Pillar for the first time in his life. _"Winona wasn't kidding. This place really is something else."_ Alex thinks to himself as he looks at the murals on the wall of the structure. He hears someone talking, and quickly hides in the shadows to avoid being spotted.

" _Yeah Boss. I made it to the Sky Pillar without any problems at all. Unsure if the target is in the area. I'll radio in when I have an update. Viper out."_ The black-clad figure continues to scale the floors of the Sky Pillar, with Alex following behind in the shadows.

Alex studies the individual whenever he can do so safely. " _Similar attire to the others I've met before. I can only think of one reason he or his brethren want to come near the Sky Pillar. They must be after Rayquaza as well. They won't be catching it if I can help it."_ Periodically, Viper looks backwards, forcing Alex to hide in the shadows to avoid being spotted. After a good hour of playing cat and mouse, Viper reaches the top of the building and starts cursing to himself. Alex remains in the shadows a little longer.

"Dammit…dammit…dammit! How hard is it to fucking find Rayquaza?! It is supposed to be HERE! Dammit…the boss is going to be pissed!" Viper yells out before attempting to radio back to his boss.

Alex decides at this moment, it is time to intervene. "If I was Rayquaza, I wouldn't appear before a scumbag trainer that wants to use me for malicious purposes either."

Viper is alerted immediately to Alex's presence. "Huh? Who said that?" He turns around to face Alex. "You! I recognize your face! You're the one who stopped two of my subordinates in Kanto and Johto, and likely helped to tip off the authorities too. Some of my informants told me what you looked like."

"Hmm…well, looks like we have a winner here. You even get a prize too…my Pokémon knocking you off the Sky Pillar, and plummeting to your death." Alex reaches for one of his Pokeballs.

"Dream on. If anyone will die here, it's going to be you. You're on!" Viper reaches for one of his Pokeballs, and unleashes the Pokémon within. "Aggron, crush him!" Aggron emerges with a mighty roar.

Alex calls out his Pokémon of choice. "Pyro, let's light him up!" Pyro emerges, ready for battle.

"Aggron, this shouldn't take too much effort. Rock Slide now!" A barrage of rocks pelts Pyro, causing significant damage right away. "Looks to me like your Charizard is a little beat up."

"Dream on. Pyro, counterattack with Fire Blast!" The Fire Blast connects, but Aggron seems unfazed by it.

Viper smirks at Alex. "Don't you know that Aggron can't be taken out by your Charizard so easily. Helps when it has been genetically altered too. Finish Charizard with another Rock Slide!" Aggron attacks again. The attack connects, knocking out Pyro. "How pathetic."

"Pyro, no!" Alex pulls out his ball. "Return Pyro. Pyro has been my ace Pokémon for 20 years. He and I have been through more struggles than you will ever know. Aggron might be tough, but it shouldn't be that powerful." A new Pokémon is selected. "Aurora…you're next!" Suicune (Aurora) emerges from its ball next.

"Ahhhh…one of Johto's legendary beasts that you managed to keep away from us in Cerulean. Once I take you out here, I'll take it and that black Charizard as trophies. Aggron…use Thunder Wave!"

Alex is caught off guard. "Aggron is a Steel and Rock type Pokémon. Wasn't aware that it could use Electric type moves as well. No matter…Aurora, use Water Gun." Aggron's Thunder Wave connects with Suicune, while Water Gun barely grazes it.

Viper grins maliciously. "Right on target. Aggron, finish it off with Thunder!" Thunder clouds appear in the sky as the attack is created. Aurora's body starts pulsating with a blue aura, much like Tundra's did.

"A blue aura? Does that mean Aurora can use that attack as well? Aurora…go for it! Get up close…and use Sheer Cold!" Suicune gets close enough to land Sheer Cold on Aggron, knocking it out on the spot. Unfortunately, the awaiting Thunder also lands on target at the same time. Aurora is brought down as well. "Aurora, thank you. You've fought bravely against this menace. Return!"

"You got lucky punk. This next Pokémon will see to your demise! Go Garchomp!" A mutated Garchomp emerges from the black ball. It resembles a standard Garchomp, but with an X shaped scar on its chest, as well as multiple scars and spiked protrusions coming from its back. "Like what you see? Years of scientific experimentation and genetic splicing have created this masterpiece."

Alex looks at it in disgust. "What kind of sick freaks would want to do that to an innocent Pokémon? That Garchomp should be put out of its misery instead of being a lab rat for your cause." Alex pulls out his third Pokémon. "Tundra…take flight!" Articuno emerges, ready to do battle. "Be careful, there's no telling what those experiments may have done. Take aim…with Mind Reader!" Articuno takes aim at the grotesque Pokémon.

Viper calls out his first attack. "Garchomp, use Giga Impact, then show them what a real Dragon Claw can do!" Garchomp's speed increase as it charges at Articuno before delivering a devastating high-speed Dragon Claw."

"What the hell? Something's not right about that Garchomp. There's more to it than its cosmetic appearance. Tundra…wrap it up with Sheer Cold!" Articuno's body glows blue as it executes the attack. Ice rapidly encases the mutant Pokémon, but doesn't knock it out.

"I had a feeling you would use that against me again. Good thing Garchomp came prepared for such a situation!" Garchomp breaks out of the ice encasing it without any damage. "It can withstand several hits from attacks like those. What a shame. Time to take out another legendary Pokémon. Garchomp, take aim…Lock-On!" Garchomp's left eye glows as it takes aim at Articuno. "Genetics can do so many amazing things. Garchomp knows moves it should never be able to learn in any capacity."

Alex clenches his fist in anger. "You guys are sick. What kind of freaks would ever do something like that?" He turns towards his Articuno. "Tundra…we have to do this again. Take aim with Mind Reader, then follow it up with another Sheer Cold!" Tundra prepares to attack again.

Viper laughs hysterically. "I can't believe you are trying that same trick again! Garchomp…" Viper's tone changes to something more sinister "time to torch that bird with Fire Blast!" Thanks to Lock-On, Alex could only watch on in horror as his second legendary Pokémon is defeated. He is now down to Empoleon and Diglett.

"Tundra…not you too…Return!" Alex is livid. "First you defile this sacred place with your presence, then you have the nerve to unleash THAT! Empoleon, come on out!" Empoleon emerges.

"My new Pokémon can do more tricks than what I've shown you! Watch this…use Thunder!" Viper commands his mutant to attack their new opponent.

Alex shakes his head. "How is that even possible? Whatever…Empoleon, use Brine!" Brine connects, causing extra damage due to Garchomp's weakened state. Thunder connects with Empoleon, inducing Paralysis. "Great…not this again. Empoleon, Aqua Jet!" Though paralyzed, Empoleon successfully connects with the mutant Pokémon and pushes it closer to the edge of the tower.

Viper senses what Alex is trying to do. Since his mutant Pokémon can't fly due to the backlash of the genetic splicing, sending it off the edge of the tower would surely kill it. "I know what you're trying to pull here. It's not going to work. Garchomp, use Thunder again to knock that Pokémon out!" Due to Empoleon being slower because of Paralysis, Thunder connects again. Empoleon is defeated, leaving Alex with only his Diglett.

"Son of a bitch. Empoleon…return!" Empoleon returns to its ball. "Dig Dig, your turn buddy!" The blue nosed Pokemon emerges, ready to battle.

Viper stares at Diglett. "You're down to your final Pokemon…and it has to be a pathetic little Diglett? BWAHAHAHAHAHA! Garchomp…Dragon Claw!" The mutant charges at Diglett, ready to finish it in one blow.

"Diglett!" Dig Dig ducks under the surface, narrowly dodging the attack. This goes on for a few minutes, with both Viper and his mutant Garchomp becoming increasingly angry.

"Looks like your little mutant is having trouble keeping up with Dig Dig. Keep it up Dig Dig. We have a long way to go." Diglett continues to dodge Garchomp for a few more minutes before showing signs of fatigue.

Viper spots his opportunity to finish the battle. "Garchomp…Giga Impact, then slay it with Dragon Claw!" The mutant Pokemon goes in for a lethal strike. Just as it rears back for the kill…

"Salamence…use Dragon Pulse!" A new Pokemon appears out of nowhere and fires a beam at the mutant Garchomp. Garchomp is caught off guard and knocked backwards… almost to the edge of the tower. Salamence's trainer can be seen on its back.

"Recall your Diglett…quickly! I'll continue the fight from here!" The trainer tells Alex. Alex recalls Dig Dig and watches on as Salamence continues to fight the mutant Pokémon. The trainer continues talking as the battle progresses. "I've been keeping an eye out on these guys for the past few months now. They're bad news. Even worse than Aqua and Magma could ever hope to be. Almost considered asking both Archie and Maxie to help with this menace. Sadly, I can't get them to agree on, well…anything." With the aid of a few more Pokémon, Salamence is barely able to overpower Garchomp, tossing the mutant off the edge of the tower and plummeting to its death on the rocks below. The now dead Garchomp can be seen with a look of both pain and content. Its suffering has finally come to an end.

"Look what you meddling idiots have done! Years of scientific research down the drain in mere moments!" Viper is angry at the loss of his group's "pet project."

The trainer recalls her Pokemon before speaking. "You guys should be ashamed. No Pokemon should ever have to go through those experiments. As far as you are concerned, you guys are finished here in Hoenn. Most of the legendary Pokemon of this region are safe from your clutches. Aqua and Magma are probably dealing with your goons that may have wandered onto their turf, if the authorities haven't beaten them to it."

"Kanto and Johto are also safe as far as I'm aware." Alex tells her.

"Good to know." The trainer gives him a thumb up in approval before returning her attention to Viper. "As for you…you're coming with me…one way or another."

Viper starts laughing. "HAHAHAHAHA! No matter. Even if we failed miserably here, we have a more desirable target already in mind. Let's see if you can stop us in Sinnoh! Besides…YOU'LL NEVER TAKE ME ALIVE!" With that, Viper jumps off the Sky Pillar and commits suicide to avoid capture. He has just enough time to inform his superiors that the Sky Pillar mission has failed.

"Dammit… Now I really have to go back Sinnoh." Alex grumbles in frustration.

The trainer turns here attention to Alex. "What is it that they want in Sinnoh of all places? Oh…where are my manners. The name's Zinnia. Nice to meet ya."

"Alex. Thanks for the save Zinnia. I would have been a goner if you hadn't shown up." Alex calms himself. "As far as Sinnoh…If their actions in Kanto and Johto are any indication of their intent, the Legendary Pokemon of Sinnoh are going to be in danger."

"A few weeks ago, I managed to get some info from one of the squads trying to excavate Regirock's lair. I can't exactly say if Regice or Registeel were spared from a similar fate. Anyhow, the squad leader said something about their group trying to get as many legendary Pokémon as possible, and info on the whereabouts of some ancient relic. I think he said it was called the Azure Flute. Does that sound like anything you might know about?" Zinnia looks Alex…his face is paling. "Are you alright?" Zinnia rushes over to Alex and catches him just in time. She helps him sit down near the stairs.

Alex takes a few breaths before speaking. "Oh…no. I know enough about Sinnoh lore to know why they want the Azure Flute so badly. If they do find that relic, it will be the end of the world as we know it."

Zinnia looks at him with concern. "How exactly can an ancient flute bring about the end of the world?"

"It's not the flute itself that's the problem. The flute is more like…a key, if you will. A key to something that can bring about the end of the world if it falls into the hands of that organization." Alex steels himself before speaking to her. "According to what I've read in books about Sinnoh mythology, a certain song with the Azure flute is supposed to be played at a very specific location in Sinnoh…supposedly on top of Mount Coronet by the famed Spear Pillar. From there, it is said to have the power to open the gateway to a mystical realm. It is stated further that the mythical Pokemon Arceus resides within that realm. If that group somehow gets their hands on Arceus…it's all over. Arceus is said to have created the entire universe. Just imagine what that kind of power could do in the wrong hands."

"That doesn't sound good at all. Hopefully you or whoever can prevent them from achieving their end goal." Zinnia pauses a moment. "I'm assuming you came here looking for Rayquaza correct? You're a little late on that one. It flew away a while ago. Better luck next time I suppose." Zinnia calls out Salamence again.

"Before I go…let me heal your Pokemon for you." Alex's Pokemon are fully healed in no time. "IF by some chance you do manage to catch Rayquaza in the future, let me know. I can teach it a useful technique. Until then, see you around." Zinnia takes off on Salamence, leaving Alex in his thoughts.

' _Damn…so much for finding Rayquaza today. At least it's safe from those guys…I hope. Can only hope for the same thing for most of Johto and Kanto's legendary Pokemon too. I know Eusine will be watching out for that other Suicune. Look at the time…it's getting late. Might as well head back to Slateport City. Hopefully my house hasn't been ransacked while I was away. Maybe I'll try to see Winona and Wallace one more time before they leave on their honeymoon…and before I head back to Sinnoh."_ Alex hops on to Tundra's back and heads back to Slateport City. High above the tower in the darkening night sky, a flying Pokemon watches as Alex departs from the Sky Pillar. It stays still until Alex is no longer visible before it follows suit and leaves the area.

/

Once back in Slateport, Alex returns to his house on the outskirts of the city. Luckily, none of his belongings were taken while he was away. Another feeling of dread washes over Alex before he falls asleep, seeing as his inevitable return to Sinnoh is looming that much closer now. Meanwhile, a ship with a very familiar insignia begins to approach the city.

"Been a while since I've visited Slateport City. I hope my old pal is doing alright. Poor lad's been through some turbulent waters." The ship's captain says to a woman next to him.

The woman nods. "Only one way to find out…Archie."

…

 **Alright. That's a wrap for this chapter. Apologies if it seems weak compared to the other chapters so far. I had a plan in mind before life got in the way over the last few months. Some of those plans were lost over the last few months. Hopefully I will be able to get back on course after this. Just a couple more chapters to go before the Sinnoh arc begins.**


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